<p>Since my S applied ED, there is no waiting for college mail this week. We are in the middle of the "How are we going to pay for this?" stage with 2 kids at expensive private colleges next year. So I have been hoping for a piece of mail from the National Merit coporation this week. My S thought he had a good chance until I told him it was state based. However, I still have hope. Does anyone know if all of the letters for the $25000 scholarships have gone out?</p>
<p>cookiemom - I am sorry to dash your hopes, but I think you have an extra zero on the amount of the National Merit corporation scholarship! They are $2500, not $25,000 :( . My son received one three years ago, but I don't remember exactly when he was notified. Good luck!</p>
<p>I looked at the website as D is also waiting. They say they notify April-June.</p>
<p>everyone at my school has found out, they should let u know sometime this week maybe next week. i dont think it ever goes past late april</p>
<p>S's notification letter states "We will begin mailing Merit Scholarship offers to winners in March. Finalists who have not been chosen to receive a Merit Scholarshipaward will be informed in mid-May after most selections have been completed."</p>
<p>I'm not holding out much hope for an award. Not only do we live in a high cut-off state, but our state also has a high number of finalists.</p>
<p>Thanks, MotherOfTwo. I wish the extra zero was due to high hopes, but it's due to old age and poor eyesight.</p>
<p>marite - The number of finalists and awards is proportional to the number of students attending college from that state. So the percentage of finalists receiving awards should be the same in each state, but the students from high cut off states will be facing stiffer competition. .</p>
<p>S got the letter on Monday.</p>
<p>I remember hearing (favorably) the week after college decisions, i.e., the first wk in April.</p>
<p>Wow, Marite! I'm FLOORED that your son hasn't gotten one! What are these National Merit people thinking? I mean, I know it's MA and all, but far less qualified people were getting them here in CA last year :(.</p>
<p>D is currently a junior. She did well on her PSAT and was told by GC that she could possibly be a semi finalist. For those of you whose children were national merit semi finalists, do you remember when they were notified ... September of their senior year? It seems that's what I heard, but then someone told me they thought it was May of their junior year. Thanks!</p>
<p>Evil Robot:</p>
<p>Thanks for the encomium on behalf of my S. There are many many other students who are as qualified as, or even more qualified than, he is--and many of them are in MA!</p>
<p>Splashmom:</p>
<p>I think the notification comes in August/September through the school. It's fairly easy to figure out if your D will qualify. The cut-off does not change drastically from year to year for each state. Unfortunately, I do not have the link to the post that listed the cut offs by state, but other posters probably do.</p>
<p>Thank you, Marite. Congratulations to those who achieved semi finalist and finalist spots! I did see at one time the numbers that someone was kind enough to post for the previous years. Unfortunately, our state (TN) jumped three points last year (from 213 to 216). I am hoping to see the numbers drop again (D got 213), though I am not holding my breath. Thanks again!</p>
<p>SplashMom the date of notifiction of semi-finalist standing is basically up the the high school. My s was notified in late September or early October. I think in MA that the cut-off score last year was 222 but it varies from state to state because they're taking the top percentage.</p>
<p>I think they might give letters of commendation (the lower 99th percentile that doesn't make semifinalist) in May, though I'm not sure.</p>
<p>They send out letters in April to all who will be either Commended Students or semifinalists (but they don't tell which you are), asking for two colleges that you want your score sent to. However, Commended are actually notified after semifinalists. My son didn't hear from the school until early October.</p>
<p>Commended students here in the fall. The top 50,000 students in the country (this includes commended and semifinalists) hear in spring of junior year. They are asked then to designate one or 2 colleges to receive notification of their status.</p>
<p>My suggestion is to have your child use this as an opportunity to let colleges know that either use interest as part of their admissions factors or that might work as safeties that also give merit aid.</p>
<p>It is pointless to let places like HPYS know that they are your child's first or second choice college. That's because HPYS are flooded with applications from students who scored high on the PSAT.</p>
<p>Northstarmom is correct. You are notified if you are in the top 50,000 in May of your junior year. In Sept. the school is notified if you're commended or a semifinalist. You are notified of finalist status in May.</p>
<p>I just read on the financial aid thread that all of the $2,500 award letters were mailed out on March 24, and it will take 3 - 10 days for them to arrive. I know that my son's finalist letter arrived very late so I still have a glimmer of hope.</p>
<p>lol i actually asked my parents if we could move to colorado where the cut off is 202, so i could be a semifinalist, <em>206... *sigh</em> if only i didn't live in jersey... well good luck to all of you</p>
<p>"It is pointless to let places like HPYS know that they are your child's first or second choice college. That's because HPYS are flooded with applications from students who scored high on the PSAT."</p>
<p>I don't know that it's "pointless," Northstarmom. Depends on the student's goals. In fact, HYPS still provide the listmakers with data re the number of NM Scholars they enroll; even they are vying for those students. Like Marite, I don't know where the list is, but I know Harvard enrolls by far the most NM Scholars while Princeton's class is about 10 percent NM Scholars. Having one's name sent out on a semifinalist list early in senior year can't be a bad thing. My kids were both NM Scholars but were not able to put that information on their applications, because, as you are all seeing, the info arrived way too late. At least the NMSC had already sent out their names to their first- and second-choice schools . None of the schools they hoped to attend were NM Scholarship sponsors.</p>